Hunting the Shadows (20 page)

“Wrong answer.”

One tug and she stumbled. Her legs hit the tub and as she tumbled in, she landed in the direct range of the spray. A startled yelp slipped free before she could slap a hand over her mouth.

His laughter surprised her. She jerked her head up and parted her soaked hair out of her eyes. The transformation of his features was shocking. His grin brightened his eyes with a boyish charm she hadn’t thought him capable of. When he offered his hand, she curled her fingers around his, letting him pull her up and stared at him wordlessly.

“You look like a drowned rat.”

“You…arrogant…”

“Ass,” he finished. “Are you going to stand there in those wet clothes all night or are you taking them off? You’re in the shower now, you might as well stay.”

“I’ll stay. As you pointed out, I’m wet and—” she lifted a finger and pressed it to his lips when he chuckled, “—not
that
kind of wet.”

He parted his lips to allow her finger to slide in. The suction of his mouth made her gasp. Shaken at the intensity such a simple action could stir, Amy shook her head and continued, finding it incredibly difficult to find words, let alone string them together to form a coherent sentence. “I’ll get naked when you leave.”

“Why? Those clothes have to be awfully tight now that they’re soaked. Are you sure you don’t want out of them? I promise I won’t look.” He slipped behind her, his hands sliding down her arms. Dipping his head, J.C. grazed his teeth over her throat. His breath tickled her ear. “I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to. I give you my word.”

“And if I do?” Her voice was breathless as she faced him.

“Just say the word.”

She licked her lips, watching as his eyes darkened with desire. His palm settled low on her back, fingers fanned out as he pressed lightly. Encouraging her to step forward, he nudged the ridge of his arousal into the notch at her thighs and she sucked in a breath.

“Damn it, sweetheart, say the word.”

She closed her eyes. “We weren’t finished talking. I’m worried about you.” When she lifted her lashes again, she found her eyes unfocused. Excitement made her hot and jumpy, her skin tingling as her gaze locked onto his.

“Finish later. You’re killing me here. I swear I’ll tell you whatever you want. Later. I’m tired of fighting how I feel for you.” He groaned and his fingers tightened at the back of her jeans as though he had to restrain himself from tearing them off her.

“I’m not saying no,” she whispered, her voice thick and husky. Breathless. It didn’t sound like her. He watched her mouth. Her body reacted with a throb of need.

“You’re sure?” His hand brushed her stomach and she sucked in a breath. How could that simple expanse of skin be so sensitive?

Amy nodded, more emphatically this time. “For the first time, I get to make my own decisions. I want this. I—I want
you
.”

Her nipples tightened as they rubbed against her wet bra, her breasts swollen and sensitive. His hands moved to the hem of her shirt and as he pulled it up and over her head, the friction against her skin caused a pulse of need to echo in her most intimate flesh.

Her bra might have been practical white cotton, but the hunger in his eyes made her feel more feminine than she had ever felt before. She unhooked her bra, letting it slide down her arms and off her fingertips.

She watched his reaction, his gaze dipping down to her breasts and his erection twitched, stiffening more than she thought would be pleasant.

He murmured, words she didn’t hear, and slid his palm up to cup her breast, bending his head to nuzzle beneath her ear. He fastened his mouth over her pulse, biting and licking her throat until her hips writhed.

“Get rid of the pants,” he ordered.

Explicitly sexual images crashed into her mind and she wasn’t sure where they’d come from. His mind or hers. It didn’t matter. She nodded, shimmying out of the jeans and panties as fast as possible.

There was stark hunger in his stare. His eyes lingered on her swollen breasts, dropping between her thighs.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. There was an untamed quality to his voice. J.C. pressed his mouth against her bare flesh. She rolled her head back on a low cry as the tug of his mouth sent pleasure curling through her veins, all the way to her toes.

Heat flushed into her cheeks, her hands lifting to his chest as though to anchor herself against him. He chuckled, the vibration of his mouth making her body arch, pushing her nipple deeper into his mouth. His tongue circled the hardened nub, even as he slid his hand farther down her body, over the sensitive dip of her stomach to press between her legs.

She was wet and it had nothing to do with the shower now. His fingers pressed into the heat of her body. He stroked her with patience, bringing a strangled cry from her as he used hands and mouth to tease, leaving her hanging on that perilous edge.

Her hips moved against him, but it wasn’t enough. This need was foreign to her, a need that drove her to the point of insanity. He left her wanting with an intensity she didn’t fully understand until she could barely breathe.

He watched her, his face etched with such hunger that it should have scared her. It was more than a physical need, it was mental as well. She’d become so attuned to him that the desire chased everything else out of her mind. Everything, but his touch and the heat of his kiss. How could a woman think straight when she was drowning in sensations?

“J.C.” There was a catch in her voice, a tremor to it when he pushed his fingers deeper within her. She needed…wanted more.

More
.

“Don’t,” he whispered when she began to shift her body. His tongue flicked over her ear and made her shiver. Her muscles clenched tighter around his fingers. “Don’t think. Just feel.”

“Don’t stop.” Her hand slid down to his wrist, as much to hold it there as to urge him on. She pressed her face against his neck, then feathered her lips over his skin, back to his lips. “Kiss me.”

He did.

Her breath escaped in a little rush when he nuzzled her throat, making a slow assault of her skin, then back to her mouth. He leaned in, long, languid kisses drugging her senses until her eyes glazed and her body tensed. When the heat that coiled in her body exploded, she cried out and the pleasure engulfed her, leaving her clinging to him and shaking.

“Come on.” His hands were big and warm as he tugged her out of the shower. He stepped around her, lifting her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “I love your mouth,” he whispered thickly against her.

Her body fit against his, every curve molded to the hard plains of his chest and hips as he lowered her to the bed. “Look at me, sweetheart.” His body covered her, damp skin against damp skin. Catching her hips, he held them as he pressed against her entrance.

Sensing his restraint, Amy ran her hands up along his back so that she could grip his shoulders.

“Relax for me, sweetheart.”

Her eyes met his and leaning in, she pressed her mouth against his skin. He eased forward and in a quick, smooth motion, he was buried inside her. The shock of the sudden burning pain made her stiffen.

He leaned forward, slipping one hand beneath her so that he could arch her back. The move thrust her breasts toward him, giving him the opportunity to lock his mouth over her nipple.

Slowly, she released her grip on him, lifting her hips in a rotating move that came from instinct. The burning became pleasure as he moved within her, his energy sizzling through her system. She was mindless under the combined assault, writhing as desperate sounds came from her.

“You feel so good,”
J.C. murmured through the connection of their minds, his voice thick with desire.

He pulled out completely before he surged forward again. Her body shook as she moved against him. He was so deep, his movements so hard and fast that she couldn’t keep up. Instead she got lost in the passion. His hand slipped between their bodies, finding that sensitive nub that ached for his touch.

“Let go, Amy.” It was a soft demand against her mouth.

He had power over her body and she obeyed without thought. His fingers rubbed, the movements of his body deep and unstoppable. Her body shattered as he pushed her over. Sex with J.C. was more than the pale description in the texts she’d read. It was beyond words and she was helpless to the storm of pleasure as it whipped through her veins. When he shuddered and groaned against her throat in his release, Amy stroked his hair away from his forehead. Closing her eyes, she let herself drift in the sated heat.

* * *

She was warm, her entire body relaxed. Lips curved, Amy rolled over onto her stomach. When her body collided with another’s—hard and yet oh-so-deliciously smooth—she opened her eyes and found herself being watched by a gorgeously naked man with gold eyes heated with passion.

“Welcome back to the living.”

She pressed her cheek against the damp skin of his chest. When his hand skimmed up her spine, she became all too aware of her nakedness. Her cheeks went hot and glancing down, she caught sight of the tangled sheets at their feet. “It wasn’t a dream.”

“No.” His eyes darkened to amber and she found that incredibly arousing. That she could make a man as strong as J.C. want something so much was rather addicting. “How do you feel?”

Like she was drugged. Arching her neck, she gave his wandering mouth access as he placed a line of kisses along the column of her throat. Her lips curved into a satisfied smile. “Mmm.”

He moved, rolling her and suddenly she was on her back, half under him, the heavy weight of his leg over hers. “That’s not an answer,” he reprimanded and nipped her lips.

“I feel great.” She tried focus on his mouth and the feel of his hands on her skin, but she couldn’t help the small niggle of a worry at the back of her mind.

She had always known she was going to lose her mind. What if this was proof of it? This couldn’t really be happening. She didn’t get this lucky. She shook the thought away. But still, while this all felt real, what if the reality was that she was still in the psych ward under hallucinogenic influence or in that virtual reality state? What if she was still in the coma with Dare? “J.C., how do I know this is real? What if I’m really broken?”

His mouth paused a moment, hovering over her pulse. “You’re not. Stop worrying over nothing.” His teeth scraped along the mark he’d left behind on her shoulder and heat spilled through her body.

To please herself, Amy trailed her fingertips along the muscles of his arm. She sucked in a breath when he moved down her body, his teeth nipping and his tongue soothing. Her nerve endings were sensitized to the extreme and the combined sensations made her toes curl. “What exactly do you think is going on with me?”

His tongue ran along the upper slope of her breast. “I don’t know. I think you’re just beginning your psychic maturation.”

Swallowing, she tried to think. “Psychic maturation?”

“You’re starting to explore these abilities of yours that were given the chance to develop outside of a laboratory setting.”

His hand stroked her side, settling in the hollow of her waist. She found herself holding her breath in anticipation when he nuzzled her stomach, pressing kisses to her exposed skin. She clenched her fingers, finding that they were suddenly in the soft strands of his hair.

“Do you really want to talk about this? Because I’m about to be busy.”
Amusement was back in his voice. He turned his head, pressing a kiss to the inside of her thigh.

She thought to answer, had every intention of it. But his hands slid beneath her bottom and he was inching his shoulder between her thighs, nudging them apart. With a murmur that was more sound than words, he tasted her. Amy gasped at the first slow lick.

Somehow, she knew that this time he would be unhurried in taking her. He lapped at her and her entire body tightened. She could barely breathe as she vibrated from the sensations. This was what it was like to be insane with lust, with pleasure so complete that she saw stars because of it.

His mouth ravaged her with a rough tenderness she had no defense against. All she could do was roll her head back, close her eyes and feel.

It always came as a surprise, that quick and startling explosion that shook her body with a cry of gratification. Her fingers tugged at his hair, urging him up her body until he was braced over her. She had to feel him inside her, didn’t think that she could survive without him.

When he slipped inside her, it was a seduction of her senses. He moved in a slow, sensual rhythm, his hand cupped beneath her, holding her at an angle so that she could feel him deep within her. She had no choice but to let herself be taken completely, mind and body by a man who needed the pleasure as much as she did.

Chapter Eighteen

That morning, before the caffeine had even kicked in, J.C. found Amy lost in thought…a memory. Ajay was missing. No, missing was too light of a word. She was taken. Was possibly dead. A team member was in trouble and he wasn’t there to offer his protection.

Again.

Under the gray sky, search teams had already started combing through the mountains, searching for any piece of evidence.

By the time early evening rolled around, J.C. knew they weren’t going to find her by searching on foot. There was too much ground to cover. There were only so many teams the Council let them use. Low on manpower and time, Ajay couldn’t afford them going through every crack of the mountains and every shadow of the Centre.

They didn’t have an idea of where to look. If they could pinpoint the approximate area she’d been seen last, they might have a chance. The problem was that she hadn’t logged into the system in over two days.

It was stupid to waste time when they had Stefan in custody. The Council and Broderick had been dodging him all day and that was unacceptable.

He was headed to the cell where Stefan was being kept when Amy caught up with him.

“What’s the plan?” The tension from being outside without the band for periods of time was starting to take a toll on her. There were dark circles beneath her eyes and more than once today he’d caught her rubbing her temples.

“Now, I go see Stefan.” The Council wouldn’t like it, but he was wasting time otherwise. He reached down for her hand. “I’m going to make him talk to me. You should stay behind and rest.”

“J.C., stop trying to protect me. I want to help.”

“I know, but, Stefan’s dangerous and you have the most history with him.” Her fingers were warm against his as he slid his palm along hers. “You don’t need to see him.”

“I can handle it.”

His lips curved at the stubborn look that crossed her face. He nodded. “All right, but stay back. He’ll be chained and will have neutralizing drugs in his system but that doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous.”

Dropping her hand, J.C. shoved the door open and felt against the wall for a switch, turning the light on. Like the Council room, the interrogation chamber was dark. They liked to think it made the prisoner feel isolated. Stefan’s cell stood in the middle of the room, the light directly overhead. It was a room designed for torture. If one was to look through the shadows, they might see the tool boxes and other equipment used to inflict the most pain.

Stefan sat on the floor, looking gaunt and broken. In his lap, a small cat was curled against him. When J.C. unlatched the cell door and eased the bars open, Stefan didn’t move, his fingers methodically stroking the cat’s fur.

He kneeled beside dried blood on the floor, curling his fingers in Stefan’s hair to lift the man’s head. Empty, dull eyes opened, Stefan’s gaze going right through him. They were the eyes of someone who wanted the torment to end, someone who had given in to his fate.

“Come to finish the job and kill an innocent man?” Stefan seemed to find that funny. He laughed, a dry, cracked sound.

They didn’t have the time to listen to denials, not when a woman’s life was in jeopardy. Every second wasted, they were losing her. If she wasn’t already dead. He refused to think like that.

He wasn’t going to lose a member of his team.

Leaning close, J.C. waited until Stefan’s eyes focused on him. “Tell me where she is.”

“I don’t know.” Blood bubbled from a cut along Stefan’s mouth. Jerking his head free from J.C.’s grasp, he coughed and more blood spilled down his chin. Exhaustion colored dark circles under his eyes. “Leave me alone, J.C. I’m tired and nothing I tell you will make you happy.”

“I’ll go when you tell me where Ajay is. Is she alive?”

He needed to know.
Please let her still be alive.
Teams were out searching, but they were wasting time when Stefan could tell them where she was.

Bruises marred the man’s throat, darkening over ribs and kidneys. Someone had beaten Stefan recently with no regard for whether they cause internal bleeding or not. The sight should have disgusted him, but J.C. was hard pressed to feel sympathy for a killer.

But a part of him did feel something for the boy he’d once known.

“This can all end, Stefan. All you have to do is tell me what I want to know.”

He hated that Amy was witnessing what was done. She didn’t leave though, sticking by his side, no matter how frightened she may be. After everything she had gone through, Rick and Dare hadn’t taken her spirit.

He glanced back to where she stood, her brows knit in concentration as she tried to get into Stefan’s head. She bit at her bottom lip, her body braced.

“We both know this will never stop.” Stefan’s lips twisted, his eyes unfocusing. “It doesn’t matter what I know or don’t, the Council will never leave me alone. Are you happy? You’ve officially got me out of the way.”

“Tell me where she is.”

At Stefan’s silence, J.C. directed his next question to Amy. “Can you get into his head and pull it out?”

He felt the brush of her body as she stepped around the sticky mess on the ground to Stefan’s side. Her hand shook as she reached out, touching Stefan’s face lightly. “He’s pumped full of neutralizing drugs. Even if I could get past that, there’s all those blocks.”

He swore softly. There had to be a way to get inside Stefan’s head. Drugs weren’t an option at the moment. Any more and Stefan wouldn’t know his own name. They needed access to those memories, but they didn’t have the time to wait for the drugs currently in his bloodstream to leave his system.

Ajay didn’t have the time.

J.C. was grasping at thin air. He was about to lose it when Davan burst into the room, charging toward Stefan. Out of everyone, Davan had taken Ajay’s disappearance the hardest. As he went to intercept, Davan smoked out of view then reappeared in the cell, slamming Stefan back against the wall with enough force to rattle bones. The cat had jumped aside but was now hissing at Davan. “Where the hell is she?”

J.C. set a warning hand on Davan’s arm, knowing that if he didn’t act, the other agent was going to kill Stefan. As much as J.C. agreed that Stefan needed to die for his crimes, they weren’t going to find Ajay like this.

“I don’t know!” Stefan yelled. “I’d never hurt her.”

“Excuse us if we think you’re lying,” Davan snarled. “That knife wasn’t used for cutting your dinner steak, Stefan. We typed the blood. It’s human.”

The DNA results had come back negative for any of the known victims. How many bodies had they yet to find? At this point, he would let Davan do what he wanted if it got them answers. He didn’t know what else he could do, other than outright torture, to get the information.

“Stop it.” Amy shoved at Davan, moving between him and Stefan. “You’re not going to get him to talk this way.”

“He took Ajay,” Davan growled.

“His energy signature doesn’t match what I found. J.C., I don—”

Davan gaped at her. “Then you fucked up. I’m sure you thought you knew what you were looking at but obviously you were wrong.”

“I know exactly what I was looking at. I may not be able to read him right now, but I know what I know. It doesn’t
match
.”

J.C. didn’t know what to think. Davan was right. The signature was the least important bit of evidence. “Amy, are you sure?”

She nodded.

The blood. The knife. The fact that Stefan was a teacher and drew in energy from around him. It all fit.

Davan’s lips twisted. “Of course you’re taking his side. You let her be taken.”

“Stand down.” J.C. moved closer. Lowering his hand to Amy’s arm, he drew her back behind him. Davan was combustible with fear for his partner’s safety. “Amy isn’t at fault.”

“We could have kept Ajay safe! What good is having a fucking telepath around when she can’t do anything?”

“I’m warning you, Davan, watch what you say next.” His voice hardened as he shot a warning glare. He understood that Davan was worried and would do anything to find Ajay, but there was a line and he was crossing it.

“If Ajay dies, it’s on her, J.C.”

“No, it’s on
Stefan
,” J.C. snapped. “I’m not going to let you shove Amy into the cross-fire. We have more important matters at hand. We need to find Ajay. Got it?”

Because right now, they didn’t have the time to argue and fight with each other.